This invention relates to a warning flag system for a water ski boat. More particularly, a warning flag is automatically raised by a mechanical apparatus when the tow rope goes slack.
According to boating regulations for the State of California and many other states, the operator of a vessel involved in towing a skier must display a ski flag to indicate any of the following conditions: a downed skier; a skier in the water preparing to ski; a ski line extended from the vessel; or a ski in the water in the vicinity of the vessel. Most simply, a spotter sits in the boat holding a flag, and when any of these conditions occur, the spotter raises the flag to alert other vessels of the condition.
Various mechanical systems for flag raising have also been tried, including U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,724 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,836. However, these devices are unnecessarily complex for such a simple task. Thus, it would be desirable to have a simple mechanical actuator that automatically raises a warning flag at the appropriate time.